Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Altstätten and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,340 a month against $3,362 in Altstätten, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

165

Cost of Living Index in Altstätten
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Altstätten Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Altstätten

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,362

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Altstätten and in Bucharest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Altstätten and in Bucharest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,362 per month in Altstätten vs $1,340 in Bucharest, rent included.

Altstätten $3,362
Bucharest $1,340

A couple spends around $5,134 per month in Altstätten vs $2,037 in Bucharest, rent included.

Altstätten $5,134
Bucharest $2,037

A family of three spends $6,905 per month in Altstätten vs $2,734 in Bucharest, rent included.

Altstätten $6,905
Bucharest $2,734

Altstätten costs about 151% more than Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Altstätten sits 149% above the global median, while Bucharest is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.51 CHF 24.30

$14.49 RON 68.6

103.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 CHF 97.2

$58.1 RON 275

103.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.80 CHF 14.66

$7.48 RON 35.40

137.97%

Cappuccino

$5.94 CHF 4.89

$3.44 RON 16.29

72.67%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 CHF 4.22

$2.37 RON 11.22

116.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 CHF 4.01

$2.30 RON 10.88

111.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 CHF 7.62

$3.70 RON 17.51

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.32 CHF 6.03

$4.16 RON 19.69

75.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$1.67 RON 7.90

31.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 CHF 2.93

$1.37 RON 6.50

159.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CHF 3.03

$1.72 RON 8.14

113.95%

Eggs

$7.71 CHF 6.35

$3.64 RON 17.22

111.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.63 CHF 21.11

$9.08 RON 42.98

182.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.49 CHF 23.47

$6.84 RON 32.35

316.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.80 CHF 33.60

$12.00 RON 56.8

240.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 CHF 2.96

$1.23 RON 5.80

192.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.63 RON 7.73

24.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CHF 2.21

$1.57 RON 7.45

70.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 CHF 3.91

$2.54 RON 12.01

87.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$0.79 RON 3.75

132.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$0.77 RON 3.66

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$0.87 RON 4.13

155.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CHF 1.07

$0.99 RON 4.70

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 CHF 8.83

$6.31 RON 29.86

69.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 CHF 10.63

$6.20 RON 29.34

108.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 CHF 2.32

$1.19 RON 5.63

136.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CHF 2.56

$1.57 RON 7.45

98.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 CHF 3.81

$0.86 RON 4.08

438.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$100 CHF 82.7

$21.10 RON 99.8

375.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.47 CHF 6.15

$0.64 RON 3.05

1067.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 CHF 3.84

$0.60 RON 2.86

676.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$74.3 CHF 61.2

$6.43 RON 30.43

1055.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.84

$1.96 RON 9.25

14.29%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$29.0K RON 137.2K

39.74%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

$26.6K RON 126.0K

48.57%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$277 CHF 228

$196 RON 927

41.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$32.44 CHF 26.72

$8.04 RON 38.04

303.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 CHF 45.95

$9.35 RON 44.21

496.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.5 CHF 75.4

$50.2 RON 238

82.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.93 CHF 37.01

$25.33 RON 120

77.38%

Cinema Ticket

$22.65 CHF 18.66

$8.15 RON 38.55

177.91%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,646 CHF 2,179

$628 RON 2,971

321.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.1K CHF 28.1K

$14.1K RON 66.6K

142.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$143 CHF 118

$89.6 RON 424

59.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 CHF 47.30

$38.32 RON 181

49.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 123

$79.3 RON 375

88.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$185 CHF 152

$90.4 RON 428

104.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 CHF 1,374

$678 RON 3,209

145.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CHF 1,168

$448 RON 2,121

216.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,868 CHF 2,362

$1,083 RON 5,125

164.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,429 CHF 2,000

$725 RON 3,430

235.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

$3,751 RON 17.7K

318.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.2K CHF 10.0K

$2,195 RON 10.4K

453.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 RON 6,290

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

6.75

-69.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Altstätten: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Altstätten

$1.4K 42.2%

Bucharest

$448 33.5% 68.4% $970

Groceries & Markets

Altstätten

$590 17.5%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 61.8% $365

Eating Out

Altstätten

$462 13.7%

Bucharest

$225 16.8% 51.2% $236

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Altstätten

$365 10.9%

Bucharest

$213 15.9% 41.6% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Altstätten

$241 7.2%

Bucharest

$134 10% 44.3% $107

Getting Around

Altstätten

$150 4.5%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 81.1% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Altstätten

$137 4.1%

Bucharest

$67 5% 51.4% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,668 in Altstätten versus $678 in Bucharest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Altstätten versus $58.0 in Bucharest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $590 vs $225 – making Bucharest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Altstätten

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

05:31 5:31 AM

06:31 6:31 AM

1 h ahead of Altstätten

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,145

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Altstätten Bucharest 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Altstätten
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Altstätten vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Altstätten is pricier by about 151%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,043 per month in Altstätten and $2,011 in Bucharest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucharest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,362 in Altstätten and $1,340 in Bucharest. That's a gap of about 151%.

Public transport costs about 376% less in Bucharest. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucharest, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Altstätten at $3,362. In Bucharest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Altstätten it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bucharest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bucharest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Altstätten makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.